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Standard Deviation Calculator

Population and sample standard deviation of a data set.

Worth Knowing

Standard deviation measures how spread out data is around its mean, in the same units as the data itself. The key choice is population versus sample: dividing by n gives the population value, while dividing by n−1 (Bessel's correction) gives the sample estimate, which corrects a bias that appears when you're generalizing from a subset. Use the sample version unless your data genuinely covers the entire group you care about.

How to Use

  1. Enter Numbers into the Standard Deviation Calculator above.
  2. Your result appears instantly as you type — there's no submit button or page reload.

Frequently Asked Questions